Sanders Says Congress Must Act on Privacy Panel Report

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement today after the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board urged President Barack Obama to shut down the National Security Agency's bulk collection of phone data:

"This report underscores that the collection of records on virtually every phone call made in the United States is an unconstitutional violation of the privacy rights guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment. The president's recommendations last week did not go far enough to rein in the out-of-control National Security Agency. Congress must pass strong legislation to protect the privacy and civil liberties of the American people."

Sanders will host a town meeting Feb. 1 in Montpelier, Vt., on privacy and violations of constitutional rights by the National Security Agency. Two of the nation's preeminent authorities on civil liberties - Professor David Cole of Georgetown Law School and Heidi Boghosian, executive director of the National Lawyers Guild - will speak on government surveillance and corporate attacks on privacy rights.